Free Caltraps of Time by David I. Masson

perform’d in secret; and there are those in the Government that wou’d bring in a Bill, to put a stop even to that, so that the worst Felon, shou’d escape with nothing worse, then a long Imprisonment. Tho’ they are in fear, of what will come of it, and trouble them selves much about Ill-doers in the Land, I never saw a Brawl, or a Rabble, or the least Insult offer’d to any Body, the whole time I was there, nor any Man taken in Drink, beyond a little Exaltation. Altho’ my Cloathes were so strange to them, yet I verily believe, I cou’d have walk’d abroad in ‘em, without meeting any untoward entertainment in the Streets. They are so many, those who wou’d get a Place, at a Playhouse, or in one of their Busses, must wait in a Throng; but in stead of Jostling, they stand orderly in a long Line, without the need of enforcement. I saw not one Man begging, and but few that seem’d poor, or wasted by Sickness.
     
    Yet in truth they are a Staid, and Phlegmatick Folk, that will not easily laugh, or weep, or fly in a passion, and whether it be from their being so press’d together, or from the Sootyness of the Air, or from their great Hurrying to and from work, their Faces shew much Uncontent and Sowerness, and they regard little their Neighbours. All their Love, is reserv’d to those at Home, or their Mercy, to those far off; they receive many Pleas, for Money and Goods, that they may send, for ailing Persons, that they never knew, and for Creatures in Africa and the Indies, whom they never will see. Every Saturday little Children stand in the Streets, to give little Flags an Inch across, made of Paper, in return for Coyns, for such a Charity. As for their Hatred, ‘tis altogether disarm’d, for none may carry a Sword, or Knife, a Pistol, or a Musquet, under Penalty, tho’ indeed there be Ruffians here and there, that do so in secret, but only that they may committ a Robbery impunedly upon a Bank, or a great Store of Goods, and so gain thousands of Pounds in a moment. (As for my Hanger, ‘twere only an Ornament to them.) So is there no Point of Honour with them, but what may be settled by Law and so line the Lawyers pockets, if the matter be grave enough.
     
    That their ways are so soft and peaceable, comes perhaps from the being so well supply’d. They have Light, or Heat to cook with, or to keep their Chambers warm withall, at the meer touch upon a Button; tho’ for these they must pay, when the Reckoning is brought to ‘em. In the very Heat of Summer, they keep their Meat sweet, in a Chest, which is ever so cold that Frost and Rime encrust the inside parts of it; and this comes, as their Light and much of their Heat, from this same Electricity. If they wou’d have discourse with a Friend, or wou’d buy or sell any thing, without a Journey, they have an Engine that they call a Found, or a Tellie-found, in their Houses, where they can both speak, and hear, any other Person that they chuse, by the turning a Dial with Numbers writ upon it. And this too is from Electricity. They may listen to Musick on their Raydeow Boxes, or see Plays in their Tellie Windows, any week, more then you cou’d meet with in London in a season in our Time. They have all manner of Things, both for work, and sport, and Meats too, that I can scarce describe to you. In their Shops I saw a vast number, both of sorts of things, and of different fashions of the same, and of single examples of each fashion. Some of these, are so Costly, that only the richest can buy ‘em; but many may be purchas’d by any but the poorest. With all this High-living, every Man is thus like a great Prince; and tho’ he have not Servants (for few of ‘em will serve another) Electricity is his Servant. Yet are they no more content, then a great Prince might be, or less, for they know no better, then to conceive this soft Life is their Birthright, and that if they live not as well as, or better then their Neighbour, the State is to blame.
     
    For that